Spike.



J. H. BENEDICT.

SPIKE.

l Patented Nov. 28,1916.

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UNITED STATES BATE` EQE,

JAMES H. BENEDICT, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SPIKE.

Application led May 22, 1916.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that l, JAMES H. BENEDICT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spikes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

rThis invention relates to spikes, and the primary object of my invention is to pro'- vide a railway spike that can be easily and quickly driven into a tie, sleeper, or rail supports for preventing lateral and vertical displacement of the rails of a track relative to the roadbed thereof. Easy driving of the spikes is assured by the shape and cross sectional area of the shank of the spike, also by the non-resisting beveled cutting end of the spike. Lateral and vertical displacement of a rail relative to a tie is prevented by the overhanging head of the spike having a retaining rib engaging the base flange of the rail to prevent the rail from creeping from under the head of the spike, such creeping often occurring due to the vibration of the rail set up by heavy rolling stock passing over the same.

Another object of my invention is to furnish a railway spike with a channel shank possessing the same rigidity and strength, for driving and holding purposes, as the ordinary spike. A channel shaped spike shank obtains a rm purchase in a wooden tie without unnecessarily dismembering the fibrous homogeneous mass of the tie, consequently the longevity of a Wooden tieis materially increased. To further enhance the wearing qualities of a wooden tie and contribute to its preservation, the shank of the spike co-ntiguous to the head thereof is provided with a liquid shedding member which prevents rain, snow and other matter from entering the tie at the walls of the spike, consequently deterioration of a tie is reduced to a minimum and under ordinary conditions it is practically impossible for the spike to become loose in the tie and tend to release the rail iiange held thereby.

A further object of my invention is to provide a spike, which besides meeting the various requirements or contingencies of use, possesses merit from a manufacturing standpoint, insomuch, that it can be made by a spike machine having rolls and dies designed for the formation of the important Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

Serial No. 99,047.

parts of the spike. In the first place, a channel bar can be more readily handled in a spike making machine, driving ends easily produced by rolls, and heads readily upset for desired conformation; the ultimate product of the machine being a good spike, as will be better understood from the following detail description.

Reference will first be had to the drawing, wherein Figure l is a cross sectional view of a portion of the tie supporting a rail, showing a spike in longitudinal section and a spike in elevation; Eig. 2 is a perspective view of a spike in accordance with this invention; and Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the same looking toward the head of the spike.

The shank of the spike has a back wall 1 and parallel side walls 2, said walls forming a channel throughout the length of the shank.- The walls 1 and 2 have the ends thereof shaped to provide a driving end for the spike and considering the lower ends of these walls, the walls 2 are o f less length than the wall 1 and have the ends thereof beveled inwardly, as at 3, whereby as the spikeis driven into a wooden tie or sleeper, the fibers thereof are separated and forced inwardly into the channel of the spike. The end of the wall l is brought to a driving point 4L and the outer side of the wall formed with beveled faces 5, thereby providing a driving point which is essentially triangular in cross section, said point facilitating the starting of the spike in the tie, until the walls of the spike obtain a pur chase in the tie for further driving. The point of the spike does not necessarily cut fibers of a wooden tie, but presses the same to one side whereby the same fibers may frictionally hold the walls of the spike and expand and contract without deterioration setting in which has a tendency to loosen lan ordinary spike.

The opposite end of the shank is upset and formed to provide an overhanging head 6, said head being oval in plan with a convex liquid shedding top. The head projects from the wall 1 of the shank and has a filler 7 corresponding in width to the shank, thus cooperating with the head 6 in forming shoulders 8 under which a claw, crowbar or other spike extracting device may be placed for withdrawing the spike from a tie.y In forming the filler 7 a transverse rib 0r retaining member is provided to engage in a groove or seat l0 provided therefor in the base flanges l1 of a rail 12. The rib or retaining member 9 depends from the filler or under side of the spike head contiguous to the inner end thereof, whereby it can readily engage in the groove or seat 10, adjacent the outer edge of the base flange 11 When the spike head overhangs the base flange, as best shown in F ig. 1. The groove or seat 10 may be formed when rolling or otherwise producing the rail 12 and in some instances the groove or seat 10 may be only formed in the inner base flanges of rails oi a track, Whereby the inner spikes of the track engaging the inner base flanges will prevent the rails of the track from spreading due to the great Weight of rolling stock that passes over the same. lilith the retaining members 9 positively engaging in the base flanges 11 of a track, it is practically impossible for the rails of the track to creep from under the heads of the spikes and While this lateral displacement is prevented, it is equally impossible for the rails to become vertically displaced as the inner and outer spikes cooperate in iirmly positioning the rails on a tie. lVith the gage of a track maintained under ordinary conditions, accidents incident to rail displacement are eliminated and the expense of track maintenance reduced to a minimum. Another characteristic feature of the spike is a filler 13 in the channel ot the spike and a liquid shedding member 141 adjacent the head ot' the spike. The filler 13 braces the vvalls 1 and 2 at their juncture with the head 6, and said filler presents a beveled face whereby the spike can be properly driven into a tie to seat the head thereof on the base flange 11 and the liquid shedding member 14 on the top of a tie. n some instances the ller 13 may be of greater depth than shown, particularly in connection with a heavy spike adapted for driving into an indurate material.

rlie liquid shedding member 14e is in the form of a web or iiange extending outwardly from the Walls 2 and the outer side of the head 6, as best shown in Fig. 2. lVith this member overlying the top of the tie, Water, oil and other liquids are deflected away from the juncture of the spike With the tie, consequently liquid cannot ooze between the spike Walls and the tie to cause deterioration around the spike. The member 14 is easily formed during the upsetting and shaping ot the headed end of the spike and by terminating at the Wall 1 of the spike it does not interfere With proper positioning of the spike head relative to the rail flange.

@ne embodiment of my invention has been illustrated, but it is to be understood that the spike is susceptible of such variations and modilications as fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

That l claim is 1. A spike comprising a channel shaped shank, having Walls of equal thickness beveled at one end of the spike with the beveled edge ot' tivo o t the Walls terminating at the beveled edge of the other Wall to provide-a pointed shank end, a head at the opposite Y end of said shank, and a liquid shedding member carried by the side and outer faces of said shank contiguous to said head.

spike comprising a channel shaped shank having opposed Walls at one end thereof beveled and the connecting Wall of said opposed Walls beveled inwardly to provide a flat pointed end extending below the beveled ends of the opposed Walls of said spike, a head at the opposite end of said shank, a liller under said head between the opposed Walls of said spike, a depending retaining member .carried by said head adapted for engagement in the base flange of a rail, and a liquid shedding member carried by the three Walls of said shank contiguous to said head.

In 'testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES H. BENEDICT.

Vlitnesses ANNA M. Donn, Lnwis E. FLANDERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D C. 

